LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: READER FINDS FAULT WITH NAFTA

To the Editor:

The time has come to stand up and be counted. The "North American Free Trade Agreement" (NAFTA) has little to do with increasing the standard of living for your or me. There is zero proof that it will create any net increase in new high paying jobs, in fact there may be a loss of jobs in the U.S.

If this country is to remain a truly representative style of open and free government, NAFTA must be stopped. This agreement will destroy the sovereignty of this country as we know it today. Non-elected, secretive panels who bear no responsibility to the people and also do not report to Congress should not preside over our laws and constitution. To justify this claim the following is an extract from NAFTA -- part 7, chapter 20, article 2004, paragraph nbr. 1 and page 20-23: "Except for the matters covered in Chapter 19 (Review and Dispute Settlement in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Matters) and as otherwise provided in this agreement, the dispute settlement provisions of this chapter shall apply with respect to the avoidance of settlement of all disputes between the Parties regarding the interpretation or application of this Agreement or wherever a Party considers that an actual or proposed measure of another Party is or would be inconsistent with the obligations of this Agreement or cause nullification or impairment in the sense of Annex 2004."

What the above quote actually means is that NAFTA will allow foreign Parties (governments) to contest not only the implementation of NAFTA, but also "actual or proposed measures" (the laws and legislation) of our nation. This is in direct conflict with a sovereign government like that of the U.S. and will create a non-representative law-changing body within our government that consist of, at least in part, citizens of foreign nations.

Other extracts from NAFTA -- Annex 1902.2 Establishment of Binational Panels (para. 2): "A majority of the panelists on each panel shall be lawyers in good standing." Annex 1905.6 Special Committee Procedures (para. c): "The special committee's hearings, deliberations, and initial report, and all written submissions to and communications with the special committee shall be confidential." Can we rely on a group of lawyers from Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to truly represent our best interest? Lawyers should only oversee the proceedings and deliberations to the extent that they remain inside the law, the decision making process should be resolved by subject matter experts. To maintain a true representative style of government, all panels and commissions should be required to report to and be responsive to the Congress of the U.S. If our nation is left under the control of closed door secret committees, who will be accountable to the people -- the owners of the United States of America? Since NAFTA can't be changed, it must be defeated. Call or write your Senators and Representative before it's too late.

Dave Schaefer

District 8 Co-Chairman

United We Stand America

Sikeston